Every Girl For Herself
by SafirelV
Summary: She heard the jingle of the keys as they were set down on the counter, and the creak of the door as it opened. The light from the hallway flooded over her face. She kept her eyes squeezed shut. "Jade? Artemis?" It was her dad. Artemis carefully peeked and saw that her mom wasn't there. A shadow fell over her and she shut her eyes. Mom wasn't home.
1. Chapter 1

******Title: Every Girl For Herself**

**Rating: T**

**Characters: Artemis C., Jade N./Cheshire**

* * *

**Chapter I**

* * *

_Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet._

-Vietnamese Proverb

* * *

A gray smoke cloud drifted out of the chimney into the cool air of the night. The wind pushed it west where the sun was slowly being swallowed by the horizon.

The gray of the smoke from the chimney melted into the white clouds floating above it. Each one was carefully shaped to challenge the imaginations of children, especially the two girls lying on the freshly mowed grass outside the apartment building.

The apartment was rundown; it had been built years ago. Obviously one of the occupants with a fireplace included room was using it at the moment, although Jade couldn't deduce why anyone would be using a fireplace on such a beautiful day. Maybe they just thought the flames were beautiful to watch. She was suddenly afraid a pyromaniac lived in their apartment, but she decided to keep it to herself as she watched the white clouds float by over the sunset streaked sky.

"Look Jade! That one looks like a flower," Artemis exclaimed, pointing her small hand up into the sky. Jade examined the cloud her younger sister was pointing at and tilted her head, "It looks more like an arrow to me."

"You're no fun."

Jade shrugged. Her sister didn't understand. She would never understand. Artemis was only in fourth grade, and she did as she was told. As far as Jade could tell, Artemis didn't question any of it.

A woman walking her dog walked past the children, waving as she crossed the street. Jade only stared after her.

"Come on," she said, standing up and brushing the grass off of herself.

Artemis sat up, "Where?"

"Let's go back inside."

"Why?"

"It's getting dark Artemis. Mom and Dad would tell us to come inside already."

Artemis sighed and stood up, picking up her teddybear from his spot on the grass and brushing him off. She followed her sister up the steps to their apartment, and Jade unearthed a key from a pocket in her jeans.

She unlocked the apartment room and Artemis went inside and turned on the lights.

The apartment was almost dolefully empty.

Pictures were hung on the walls in decorative frames, filled with pictures of smiling people. Artemis never remembered a time like that, when her dad smiled. When her mom smiled. When any of them smiled.

She walked down the narrow hallway towards the kitchen, opening up a cupboard to look for something to eat. She found a box of Easy Mac and put it on the counter. She was still too short to reach the microwave, so she waited for Jade.

Jade turned on the TV and entered the kitchen, noticing the Easy Mac. Without a word she put it in the microwave and punched in the time. She had memorized it after doing it so many times.

"When do you think they'll be back?" Artemis asked.

Jade knew Artemis was asking this not because she missed her parents. Maybe she missed her mom, but definitely not her dad. The two girls always looked forward to the days when they got to stay home alone. Jade had been doing this since she was only eight, younger than Artemis. Now she was thirteen.

"I don't know. Whenever they're done with the mission," she replied, settling down in front of the TV to watch a cartoon.

It was silent for a moment, besides the soft blare of the TV. Then the microwave beeped. Jade sighed and got up, opening up the microwave as Artemis grabbed a fork. She opened up the lid and threw it away, carefully pushing the hot plastic bowl across the table. Then she put an Easy Mac in the microwave for herself.

"Don't forget your homework," Jade said, shutting the microwave door.

Artemis nodded as she ravenously devoured her meal. She looked up at her sister and asked, "Can you do my hair in that pretty braid you know?"

Jade left and returned with a brush. She pulled up a barstool behind Artemis and undid her ponytail, brushing out her blonde hair.

It fell down over her back, shining softly with the glow that meant it was soft and silky. Jade ran the brush through it until every tangle was out. She put the brush down and her fingers worked through the smooth hair, tightening each strand of it together; weaving it into a French braid.

Jade grabbed the elastic she had just taken out of Artemis's hair and used it to secure the end of the braid. "There. Now go do your homework," she smiled. Artemis grinned back, "Thank you Jade!" Then she scurried off.

The apartment was quiet and empty except for the two girls. There wasn't a mom home to cook a dinner, or a dad to make sure the kids ate all their vegetables before leaving the table. There wasn't a mom to tell the kids to do their homework, or a dad to watch the evening news and shout at the TV. There weren't parents to tuck the young children into bed.

Jade thought back to the smoke she'd seen drifting out of the chimney. Maybe the fireplace was on because their family was sitting around it drinking hot chocolate and pretending everyday was Christmas. Maybe the fireplace was on because a happy family lived there. Maybe they didn't have much, but they had each other. And that was all they needed.

* * *

Jade was fast asleep in bed when Artemis heard the door open. She pulled her purple blanket closer to herself, so she could pretend to be asleep if her parents walked into the room.

She heard the jingle of the keys as they were set down on the counter, and the creak of the door as it opened. The light from the hallway streamed into the room, right over her face. She kept her eyes squeezed shut.

"Jade? Artemis?"

It was her dad. Artemis carefully peeked and saw that her mom wasn't there. She quickly shut her eyes all the way when she noticed her dad walking towards her bed.

Each of his footsteps resounded around the tiny room. She could sense him hovering over her.

And then he turned around and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

She didn't hear him talking to anyone in the hallway.

Mom wasn't home.

* * *

(A/N): This story has kinda been in my head for a while now. I don't expect it to be that long, but whenever I say that it usually ends up going over how many chapters I estimate it's going to be :P. Anyway here it is!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Corrections? Leave it in a review :)

Love, Safirel


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

* * *

_A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral._

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

* * *

"What's Dad doing right now?" Artemis asked Jade, trying to mimic Jade's hushed tone of voice. However, she was still talking a little too loud for Jade's comfort, who shot a harsh look at her younger sister and put a finger up to her lips.

Jade peered through the small crack in the door. Her father was talking to some guy with an angry demeanor. He started turning his head toward the door and Jade quickly ducked behind the wall. She looked down at Artemis, "Let's go back to our room."

Artemis followed Jade into their room, where she plopped down on the purple covers of her blanket. She picked up her favorite teddy bear and looked up at the Alice in Wonderland poster hung on the bedroom wall. She finally turned to Jade and asked what had been on her mind the whole morning, "Where's mom?"

Jade was taken aback for a moment, unsure of how to answer. That was why she'd been spying on her father; she wanted to get answers. He hadn't provided much. So finally, Jade told the truth. The hard, cold truth, "I don't know."

Artemis played with the fringe of her green t-shirt and thought to herself how strange it was to hear Jade admit she didn't know something.

"Well maybe Dad'll tell us soon."

Jade scoffed, "Doubt it."

Artemis didn't answer and merely clutched her teddy bear tightly to herself and left the room. Her dad would finish talking to that guy soon enough.

Jade followed her to the hallway, where they sat down against the wall.

"Do you think mom's okay?" Artemis asked.

"No, I think she's-" Jade stopped herself before continuing. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, especially not such horrifying ones in front of her little sister. Artemis didn't ask her to continue.

The door across the hallway opened, startling the two girls who jumped to their feet, almost reflexively. The guest and their father stepped out of the room, followed by a little boy.

"Dad, I-" he started, talking to the stranger.

"What do you want now boy?" he interrupted the kid, rather harshly.

"Why doesn't he go play with my girls?" Lawrence offered, gesturing towards the two girls at the end of the hallway. They still had their guard up and looked ready to fight any second. Nonetheless, the strange white haired boy neared the two girls, who only became more wary of him.

"I'm Cameron," he introduced.

"Jade."

"Artemis."

An awkward silence settled over the three, and they all stared at the ground, not knowing what to say.

Finally, Cameron spoke up, "I saw a park across the street on my way in. Wanna go play there?"

Artemis's face lit up and she turned to Jade, "Can we? Can we? Please?"

Jade sighed, "Alright, you two have fun. I've gotta study for my algebra test tomorrow. Make sure to ask Dad."

The two younger kids ran over to their fathers and asked for permission, getting a response along the lines of, "Sure, whatever, we're busy."

So they ran down the stairs and outside, where they watched the cars carefully before crossing the street over to the park.

A giant playscape rested in a bed of gravel. The plastic castle towered above Cameron and Artemis, its colors of red and blue and yellow inviting the kids in to explore its chambers and secrets.

"Let's go!" Cameron exclaimed, picking up a thin stick as he ran towards the rope ladder.

"What's that for?" Artemis asked.

"In case there are any dragons to fight!"

"Dragons?"

"Yeah, they guard the castle. And inside the castle is a giant treasure chest full of gold and rubies and diamonds!"

"And emeralds?"

"Do you like emeralds?"

"They're my favorite color."

"Then there are emeralds too."

They made their way up the ladder and infiltrated the first tower of the giant castle. Cameron started crawling into a tunnel, explaining how it was the sewage system under the moat that led into a secret entrance to the castle. He pretended to fight off sewer rats and frogs as they made their way through the dark tunnel, ignoring the words kids had scrawled on the walls in past times.

When they finally emerged on the other side, there was a bridge to pass.

"What's this then?" Artemis asked.

Cameron thought for a moment, "Well, the secret tunnel goes up to the bridge that takes you to the dragon's den."

"That's dumb," Artemis said. Cameron just shrugged and stepped onto the bridge, "You coming Princess?" She watched him for a few seconds and nodded, taking one hand off the teddy bear to hold onto the side.

And then, the two were faced with a set of stairs about ten stairs high. Artemis was about to start climbing them when Cameron wailed, "It's the one-hundred step staircase! We have to climb it to get to the dragon's den!"

"It's only-" Artemis started, only to be interrupted with, "We have to hurry if we want to make it up all those steps!" She sighed and decided not to argue her case. Halfway up the steps Cameron started to huff and pretend to be fatigued. She only rolled her eyes and continued on.

"It's the dragon's den!" Cameron shouted.

The 'dragon's den' was the highest part of the playground. One side of it had a step, plastic rock-like structure meant to resemble an easily climbable mountainside. Then there was a slide leading back down to the bottom. Artemis decided to take the opportunity while they were up there to look around at how high above the ground they were.

She held onto a railing and peered down at the swing set, the jungle gym, the seesaw, and the merry-go-round. There weren't any other children at the park today, and the two had the whole place to themselves.

"Rawh! Arrgh!" Cameron exclaimed as he 'slayed the dragon'.

Artemis laughed and he grinned at her. Finally he was finished and emerged victorious in his battle with the dragon.

"I've got the dragon's treasure! Quick, let's get out of here!" he cried, leaping down the slide and grabbing Artemis's hand, pulling her along with him.

"Eep!" she yelped, clinging to her teddy bear.

She'd never really played at the playground before, and there was a certain rush she got slipping down the slide she'd never felt with anything else before.

Before she knew it, she was back on the ground, with Cameron laughing and chattering excitedly about their adventure through the dragon's castle. She liked watching his electric blue eyes light up with delight. He found that he liked watching her eyes too; he liked the way they shone as she discovered the secret world of the playground.

* * *

Lawrence quietly ate his dinner at the kitchen table as he read the newspaper.

Artemis moved her bowl to the table and climbed up to sit down. Jade was eating in her room.

Lawrence didn't seem to acknowledge his daughter's presence. She ate her dinner quietly and tried to muster up the courage to ask about her mom. Then she thought about what Jade would do. Jade would just put it out there.

"Where's Mom?" Artemis finally asked. The second she asked the question, she regretted it. Her dad slowly set down the newspaper and looked sternly at his daughter, pondering on how to answer her.

"In this world, the strong prevail and the weak fall. A mission went wrong and she fell because she wasn't strong enough."

Artemis didn't say anything.

"She's in jail."

Artemis finally picked up her bowl and put it in the kitchen sink, no longer hungry. The words echoed in her head, _She's in jail_.

She took herself to her room, where Jade was busy eating noodles over a pre-algebra textbook, glancing up at her sister as she walked in. She watched Artemis walk over to her bed before looking back down at her textbook.

Artemis collapsed onto her bed in shock. She knew her father was telling the truth about where her mom was, but she felt like it almost wasn't something that happened in reality. It was like something bad that happens on the news that's too crazy to believe, but the proof is right there before your eyes.

And then she began to cry as the words set in.

"Artemis?"

She didn't answer.

Jade sighed and set her dinner down on her opened page of the textbook and walked over to Artemis's bed, sitting down beside her and putting a comforting arm around her.

Artemis looked up at her with tears in her eyes and forced the words to come out, "Mom's in jail."

Jade's eyes widened for a moment and she patted Artemis comfortingly. It was better news than she expected, and she was relieved. But at the same time she felt a pain through her heart at the thought that her mom was in a cell at this moment, probably worrying about her daughters.

"Listen, Artemis, you can still write to mom," Jade said, trying to soothe her sister.

"How?"

"You just write something and send it to the jail. We just need to find out what facility it is and what mom's number is, alright?"

Artemis sniffed, "Okay. Can you get some paper?"

Jade blinked. She hadn't meant now. But she got up and opened up the drawer in the bedside table, fishing out some paper and a pen. She put it down on Artemis's lap and said, "We'll send it in tomorrow."

Artemis nodded and got off the bed, walking over to Jade's bed and putting the paper on top of the textbook, which was a hard surface. She moved the bowl of food onto the bedside table and wrote down the date.

She settled down on Jade's bed, and Jade kneeled at the side, watching Artemis tap the pen against the paper as she thought about what to write.

_Dear Mom…_

* * *

(A/N) I really love hearing from you guys, so tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review :)

-Love, Safirel

**ZS**: Awh thanks :)

**anon**: Thank you for your insight!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

* * *

_Running away will never make you free._

-Kenny Loggins

* * *

"Hyah!" Jade cried as she kicked at her younger sister.

Artemis dodged the kick swiftly and ducked behind Jade, keeping herself in the superior position as far as fighting was concerned.

Sweat dripped down Jade's forehead and she wiped it away with her sleeve, turning to face her sister. She narrowed her eyes and decided it was time she stopped playing fair and just use brute strength.

She rushed forward and pulled Artemis to the floor, locking her in a side control. Artemis scurried out of it, tiny enough and agile enough to get out of a pin.

Jade felt the pumping of her heart, almost hearing its beat echo in her ears. She felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins and the high that kicks in from reaching the thin line between absolute fatigue and passing out. She was used to this. And this was the point when she could gain the upper hand, before she pushed herself too far and actually did black out.

While Artemis struggled to get Jade in any form of a pin, or even release herself from Jade's guard, Jade swept Artemis's base out from under her and got into the mount. Although it was a pin, she wasn't finished yet.

She started to apply a submission, taking care not to actually hurt her sister.

Then Artemis tapped out and Jade released her, the round finally finished.

Jade always hated the feeling she got after the fight was over. Even after she won.

Because that's when the adrenaline died down and she finally realized how _tired_ she really was. Trying to rest felt even more exhausting than trying to fight.

She grabbed a towel and dried off her sweat. It was hard forcing her shaky legs to keep herself up, but she'd gotten used to it.

"Twenty minutes. Then I expect you to be back and ready to practice with your weapons," her father instructed. Jade only nodded and looked up the flight of stairs she'd have to climb to her room. Well, her feet weren't going to move themselves. She started the trek up the stairs and expected Artemis to be right behind her, as always. But her father said differently, "Artemis, come here." He was probably about to tell her what she'd done wrong during that fight, and why she lost. But Jade wasn't about to tell him that putting a forth grader up against an eighth grader wasn't a fair fight. She continued up the stairs.

* * *

"Is that the best you can do?" Lawrence snarled as Artemis missed a bullseye by only a centimeter at most.

She forced herself to not let his words get to her, and she only tried harder to hit the mark. The second shot was even worse.

She shut out her father's denunciations as she aimed again. Then she hit the center of the target. She smiled and looked to see her father's reaction. He'd already left to go watch Jade practice with her sais and katana.

Artemis was suddenly very angry. He'd been yelling at her that she needed to be perfect her whole life, and when she finally did something right, he didn't even acknowledge it. She might as well just miss the target altogether. Who cared what happened?

But she'd rather have him not say anything at all than tell her how bad she is at archery, or anything in general. So she continued to shoot for the center of the target.

"Artemis, come here," her father suddenly ordered.

Obediently, Artemis put the arrow she'd just drawn back in the quiver on her back and walked over to her father and Jade, still holding onto her bow tightly.

"Show your sister how to throw a shuriken and actually _hit_ the target. There. Aim for that mark on the wall," Lawrence ordered, pointing at the wall ahead of them.

Artemis put her bow down on the floor and took the quiver off her back. Lawrence handed her a shuriken and she looked unsurely at Jade. Jade only glared and glanced away, her arms crossed over her chest.

Artemis didn't want Jade to hate her, but she had to listen to her father.

So she aimed at the wall and flung the shuriken. It hit the wall and stuck.

Jade dug her fingers into her arm and tossed her sais to the floor, turning around and starting to walk away.

"Where are you going? You haven't been dismissed!" Lawrence yelled.

Jade turned back around, flaming inside. She wanted to shout, "I've tried my best all my life to be perfect for you since that's what you want, but I'm human and I'm _not_ perfect and I don't need you yelling at me that my little sister Artemis is way better than I will ever be at hand-eye coordination activities because you tell me that everyday! And I hate how you don't even care that mom's in jail and it's all _your_ fault! You're acting like it never even happened and you just don't care at all, you never did!"

But she didn't shout that. Because he was her father and there was some mysterious force inside of her that kept her from saying anything. And she _hated_ that. She just wanted to scream. And then she felt so _stupid_ she almost wanted to laugh.

What was keeping her from saying any of those things to her dad? It was almost funny how scared she was of saying that, although it wasn't like he could do anything about it except for yell at her some more. Let him.

But she still didn't speak. She only burned on the inside, the fire devouring her and the anger flaming up even more.

"It's a tough world out there babydoll," Lawrence growled, "You have to learn that. You don't know I'm doing this for your own good. Because you're too _dumb_ to realize that without this training, you wouldn't deserve to live. Only the strong deserve to survive. The weak have to be picked off."

Jade felt the rage boil inside of her. He had the _gall_ to call her 'babydoll'? She was used to his lectures about how she could never do anything right and the like, but she'd had enough. She was done.

* * *

Artemis sat on the bed, dressed in overalls and a white shirt. She held her teddy bear as she watched Jade walk around the room, packing her belongings.

She had on a black tank top, earrings, long black pants, white sneakers, and a scowl on her face. She looked like she decided she was absolutely finished with the family. But Artemis didn't want to lose her. She couldn't lose her. She'd already lost her mom.

"Please… Please, don't go," she whimpered, watching her sister put her bag down on her bed.

"Sorry sis, Mom's not getting out of prison anytime soon, and I _refuse _to live in this house with _just _Dad," she answered, packing some clothing into her bag.

"Dad and you and _me_! We have to keep this family from falling apart!"

Jade blinked and didn't reply. She glanced over towards Artemis from the corner of her eye. And then she said something, "Toothbrush, duh! I knew I was forgetting something!"

Artemis looked down at her teddy bear, then at Jade coming back from the bathroom. That was the only source of light in the room.

"Dad'll come after you," Artemis pleaded.

Jade dropped her toothbrush into her bag and zipped it shut. Her decision was final. She was leaving this place for once and for all.

"Let him," she smirked. Then her expression got more serious as she finally looked at her younger sister, "I'll disappear, like the Cheshire cat." She slipped on a hat and picked up her bag, heading for the door.

Artemis got off the bag and followed her.

"You should get out too…" Jade said quietly. Artemis felt torn inside. Jade continued, a little louder, "I'd let you come with me, but you'd slow me down."

"Someone has to be here when mom gets out," Artemis replied, accepting that Jade wasn't going to change her mind.

"Haven't you learned _anything_?" Jade said, in an almost mocking tone. She put her hand on the door handle and finished, "In this family, it's every girl for herself." Then she shut the door.

Artemis collapsed to her knees, still hugging the teddy bear tightly to her chest. It had been Jade's before it was passed down to her. She felt her eyes well up with tears, but she didn't want to cause a scene. Not again.

She forced herself back into her bed. She clutched the teddy bear tightly for a few moments before the crying came. The light from the bathroom was still on.

She got out of bed and turned it off, letting the darkness take over. Still, some light snuck through the blinds from the city. It was never truly dark in Gotham, most of the skyscrapers had lights on until daytime.

She peeked through the blinds and realized she'd never slept alone in her room before. Jade was always there to tell her a story if she couldn't fall asleep, or just be there. Jade was _always_ there. And now she wasn't. She was just _gone_, just like that.

Artemis felt herself begin to cry again and she opened up the drawer and took out a piece of paper. Jade had already showed her how to send letters to mom. She'd memorized the address and her mom's number too.

She turned on a light and started to write.

_Dear Mom…_

She wanted to pour out how sad and alone she felt; she wanted to write about everything. But she knew her mom didn't need more bad news. She wiped back her tears as she wrote.

_ How are you? I've gotten better at archery. Jade…_

Could she tell her mom that Jade ran away? She would have to eventually, but could she do it now?

_Jade got really upset today. She left, but I'll be okay. I miss you and I hope I can see you soon. I love you Mom._

_-Artemis_

* * *

(A/N) This is probably the most depressing thing I have written yet. I hope you guys have been enjoying this so far though! Tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review :)

Love, Safirel

**Ally Marton: **Yeah, I'm glad you caught that! I remember when I was little the condition of the park didn't really matter, but now that I'm older I can actually see whether it was a nice, clean park or if it wasn't. I do miss the days playing pretend on the playground though :)

**Rissa: **Thanks! I'm glad you like the idea :)

**anon: **Awh thanks :) I'm flattered you like my writing!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

* * *

_I'd rather die my way than live yours._

__-Lauren Oliver, _Delirium_

* * *

Artemis went down for breakfast the next morning, afraid of how her dad would react when she broke the news about Jade.

She entered the kitchen hesitantly. The smell of fresh eggs greeted her, but she didn't see her father around anywhere.

She neared the two plates of fried eggs set on the counter and spotted a hastily written note.

_Here's breakfast. I'll be back in time for dinner. Make sure you've both sparred for at least an hour before I get home._

At least she could delay having to tell her dad about what had happened the night before. But she'd never been home alone in her life.

Mom and Dad were gone a lot, that was a given when working for The Shadows. But Jade had always been there. Jade was there whether Mom and Dad were home or not. She was there to protect Artemis, to guide her, to teach her… to reach the microwave when she couldn't.

And yet… Jade wasn't there anymore. Neither was Mom. And Dad… he wasn't there now. It was just Artemis. Ironic how she was the only thing left of the family, the only one who wanted to keep it together. She had always felt like even if they weren't a model family, everyone would still always be around, doing what they'd always done.

Even if Paula Crock was a villain, she'd always had a hug or a smile readily available for her daughters. And Jade could always be there to shield Artemis whenever their parents fought, or talk it out if Artemis had already seen it. And as harsh as Lawrence Crock was, he was trying to toughen his girls up for the brutality of the life they were born into. He wasn't any worse than any other fathers in the business. Some might argue he was too soft on his girls.

But Artemis was alone now. And she didn't want to dwell on the unpleasant. It was time she became independent.

She ate the eggs- both plates. Then she left to go practice her archery. She picked a bow up that was leaning against the wall and slid the quiver over her back.

In its place, she left her teddy bear.

The door shut.

* * *

Jade kept her head low and her bag close. She didn't want to encounter any of her dad's _friends_. It was bad enough she didn't have much food or money with her. Or a plan. Any plan at all.

She turned the corner and entered an alleyway. Dead end. She needed to pay more attention to the streets around her. Her dad made her memorize a map of Gotham in case she ever got lost. She never actually left the house much though. Just school and training. That was her life.

A rough hand grabbed her shoulder and she felt the cold tip of a blade touch her back. Her back arched out of reflex and the attacker only pressed the blade harder.

"What's a young girl like you doing all by herself? Don't you know how _dangerous_ Gotham is? Mommy and Daddy never taught you not to go out alone?" he asked in a mocking tone.

Jade narrowed her eyes and raised her hands slowly, as if signaling defeat.

"No," she replied, "Mommy and Daddy taught me how to take care of myself!"

She quickly spun around and grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward and twisting his arm. He dropped the knife quickly, startled and afraid.

"Be careful who you pick on," she warned as he ran off, frightened.

She picked up the knife and examined it before sliding it into her bag.

"Those were some nice moves," a voice said from above her.

She quickly got into a defensive position, keeping alert and ready to attack at any given moment.

The alleyway was dark and there were many concealed hiding places a person could be. That is, if that person could stick to a wall.

A man dressed in a black bodysuit tethered above Jade, hanging by a web stuck to the wall above him. He had two yellow circles for eyes on his mask, and Jade already knew who he was.

"_Black Spider_," she greeted without a hint of enthusiasm in her voice.

He was taken aback at first; unsure of how she knew his identity. Then he realized, "You're Sportsmaster's kid, aren't you?"

"No."

He didn't question her. Only shrugged and leapt down to be level with her. He stood, towering above the eighth grader who was glaring up at him with her arms crossed.

"Well kid, you've got a lot of fight in you. Where do you live?"

"Nowhere."

"Alright I get it, wouldn't tell a stranger like me, right? But looks to me like you're a runaway. You can't keep running forever you know. Someone's bound to find you."

Jade shook her head, "Not my family."

It was silent for a moment, as if Black Spider actually felt a pang of remorse for this possibly abandoned thirteen-year-old girl. She was tough, sure, but that wouldn't get her far in Gotham. There were plenty of psychos. She could fight them off, but that would only get her attention, and if she didn't have a place to live or food to eat, she'd be taken care of fast.

"Tell you what, I'm betting I know a place you can stay, and a few people who could teach you some things. Besides, apparently you already know me."

Jade didn't want to take up the offer. After all, he worked for The Shadows. That's who her dad worked for. She didn't want to run into him again. Ever.

But she did need to live somewhere. She wasn't planning on sleeping in the sewers, or worse, a home for abandoned kids. She didn't want to live like that. And she had to admit, she _was_ hungry. Being a girl who was used to a healthy balance of three meals a day, skipping breakfast and lunch wasn't exactly fun.

"Alright. I'll go."

"Good. But kid, tell me your name first. I'll tell you mine. My real one I mean."

"I already know it," she replied, remembering all the files she had read and the people who had come over. The people her father knew.

The life she had abandoned.

Then she realized. Either way she was on a path to the same place. Her father was training her to be one of them someday. She was born into this life. She didn't see a way out. But if she was joining The League of Shadows, she was doing it on her own terms.

"Jade. Jade Nguyen."

Jade Crock was _dead_.

* * *

(A/N:) Short chapter is short chapter. But I feel like I did a pretty good job showing the transition for both girls. Do you guys want me to continue following both Jade and Artemis or do you think I should just choose one and stick with it? I have ideas for both, but I want to see what you guys like. After all, I'm writing it for your enjoyment :)

Love, Safirel


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

* * *

_We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails._

-Bertha Calloway

* * *

Artemis heard the creak of the front door opening and she held her breath. She'd been trying not to think about how to tell her dad about Jade. But he was home, and she wasn't. He was bound to ask questions.

She sat on her bed and watched the cars outside the window as they passed the apartment complex. She saw the expression on the face of a little girl looking out the car window. A girl around the same age as Artemis. Yet when she looked towards the run down building with the small section of it that Artemis called "home", her face twisted into a look of almost… _Pity_. Like she'd never seen anything like it and wondered how people could possibly live there.

The door to her room flew open and she whirled around, not expecting her dad to burst in like that. He saw her, but his eyes immediately turned to the empty bed.

"Where's Jade?"

"She left," Artemis replied in a tiny voice, "She's gone."

He didn't ask any questions. His face was a controlled expression of hidden rage, or maybe it was sorrow? Artemis couldn't tell. She was never really able to read her father very well.

"Get some sleep. Wake up by sunrise."

He left the room and pulled the door shut behind him.

Artemis's eyes drifted to the poster of _Alice in Wonderland_ hung above Jade's bed.

"_I wish a white rabbit would appear and lead me down a rabbit hole. There would be so many cool adventures! But of course I'd want you there too. Maybe you could be the Cheshire Cat. Mom always says you're good at disappearing."_

"_I like the sound of that. But it's time to calm down _Alice_, we have conditioning training tomorrow."_

"_Okay, goodnight _Cheshire_."_

"_Goodnight."_

* * *

"Cheshire."

"I like the sound of that."

"Now what?" Jade asked. She wasn't sure if deciding on a codename was the only initiation ritual, but Black Spider didn't seem to offer any other information.

"There's no League of Shadows assassin registration center," Black Spider joked, but Jade didn't seem to catch the humor in it. He gave it up and continued to the point, "You'll pledge your allegiance to al'Ghul at sundown today."

* * *

Artemis's father tossed various objects in the air for her to aim at. It was difficult maneuvering the bow so she could quickly grab another arrow when he threw the objects in quick succession, but she got used to the pattern after a while and didn't miss any of the objects. Even when he threw something as small as a packet of gum.

He didn't congratulate her for her work, but he didn't criticize her either.

She panted and used her sleeve to dry the sweat off her forehead.

"I'm going to be busy for a while, but I don't want you staying here by yourself. It's time you get some practice in the real world."

* * *

Artemis and her father met up with the same man she had seen a few days earlier. Apparently his name was Joar, and it sounded just as burly as his build was. She had to admit he was quite the intimidating figure. But another person was there, his son. Artemis felt a surprising quickening of her heart and shyness when she saw he would accompany them on their mission.

"It's not a hard mission. But let's keep this stealthy. We don't want to burst in there guns blazing and have all the heroes suddenly on our backs. As fun as that can be, it always ends up in prison. So let's not go there, okay?" Joar said. His voice was gruff, with an undertone of cynicism.

The kids only nodded.

Artemis turned to look up at her father for instructions. She was actually feeling rather languid but she figured she'd have a good night's rest after the mission.

She didn't really like seeing him with his mask on though. It made her feel threatened.

"You and Cameron are small enough to get in through the vents. Get into this room and steal the specs."

* * *

As small as the sixth grader and fourth grader were, the vents were still a tight fit. And when the vents started traveling vertically, they were difficult to get up unless they were pretty short. Then Artemis could help push Cameron up and he'd pull her up after him. She had made him go in front of her since she felt safer that way.

It was dark and dusty in the vents, and Artemis didn't really like crawling around in them. But she was used to doing things she didn't like in her life.

"It should be here," Cameron said, his voice echoing through the maze of vents. He gestured toward a ventilation cover down a little farther.

He crawled towards it and waited for Artemis. When he didn't hear her following behind him, he turned his head to see she hadn't moved from the spot she was at.

"What's wrong?"

She felt a powerful pounding in her heart, and the chilling feeling of _fear_. Hadn't her father taught her not to be scared of anything? And hadn't she learned that if she was scared, it was better to pretend she wasn't? So she never understood why she ever answered the way she did.

"I'm scared Cam."

She thought for a moment he was going to make fun of her. She thought he was going to call her a chicken and go off and complete the mission himself and her father would never care about her at all ever again. And she regretted ever saying anything. But he didn't do any of those things.

"Aw come on Arty, you'll be fine. Besides, I'll protect you."

She let the words linger in the vents for a while. And then she took a confident crawl forward.

_I'll protect you_. When was the last time she'd heard that?

* * *

(A/N:) So I've decided the story will mainly focus on Artemis from now on. There will be a few scenes about Jade too, but not as much as Artemis. Anyway I felt like writing something fluffy for Spitfire but I had no ideas so I tried to do some fluffy younger!Frostbite :D Hopefully it's cute :)

Love, Safirel

MrsDickGrayson: Thanks for your input! And I'm glad you loved the chapter!

areanna123: Hah I like long reviews :) But you do make good points there. I shall come up with a twist :)

Irenerb: I'm glad you're enjoying this!

ImaniSechelles: Thanks!

Ally Marton: Haha I'm afraid I failed at trying to write a chapter about Jade and The Shadows. I don't think I know enough about them, but I wish I did! Haha you're not reading into it too much, that was actually intended symbolism for once! Awh thanks! I'm still in shock that such an awesome author such as yourself is actually reading one of my stories!

rogue42197: Thank you :)

anon: Awh thanks, I'm glad you like it!

winter winds: Woah that is one long review! I LIKE IT :D You just gave me a really good idea for the rest of the story! I'd give a longer reply but it's late and I'm having trouble forming coherent thoughts right now But thank you so much! I'm flattered that you like this story so much :)

traughtfan4eva: Thanks! I'm glad I got them in character! Thanks for your input :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

_I think I was born strong-willed. That's not the kind of thing you can learn. The advantage is, you stick to what you believe in and rarely get pushed out of what you want to do.  
_-Joan Jett

* * *

Their relationship hadn't been going well.

He was clingy, overprotective. Artemis didn't need someone like that. She was independent, and she didn't like it when anyone showed signs of challenging her ability to fight for herself. And she took his overprotectiveness as a challenge.

She'd noticed that change in him, as well as a new found anger that drove him towards destruction and… evil.

And the more she watched, the more she knew that this wasn't what she wanted to be. She wanted something different than this life her father was determined to force her towards. Something that would show people she'd really done it, gone out and fought for something noble, something just… Just like Green Arrow.

She had a hidden respect for him, he being the archer famous for his associations with the Justice League and saving the day, saving lives. People looked up to him. They didn't look at him with fear, they looked at him with reverence. And she realized, _she_ wanted to be looked towards with that admiration.

Her anger grew and she fought to control it, because she knew anger was a dangerous emotion that could cloud her judgment. And then she would be just like her father, and Cam, and his father. _Evil_.

* * *

It was winter when Artemis finally said goodbye to Cameron. He wasn't good for her, yet she had let the relationship carry on far longer than she should have. Maybe it was because with him she didn't feel like she was always on her own, although she wanted to prove her independence. But he was too much for her and it hurt to stay with him because she knew she didn't love him, at least not anymore. She didn't want to play him any longer.

She had finally gotten used to having an empty bed in her room without her sister, and the daily training she went through with her father. Writing to her mother became a weekly thing instead of a daily one when school started up, although she had a collection of letters she'd never meant to be read, stored in her bedside table for whatever reasons she decided to keep them.

Artemis liked training sometimes. It was a way to let out her anger at the world, a way to forget her troubles and concentrate on pushing herself to her limits. Her physical condition was vital if she was to carry through with her plan.

She'd written it down in a letter she never sent. She'd even sketched out her own costume.

But the pieces of green fabric she could scrounge up without her father getting too suspicious hadn't been enough yet, and she wasn't sure if she had the guts to go out there yet when she knew so many of these villains she planned to fight.

Maybe she would wait a while longer. She needed a cause. She didn't want to just be another masked madman in Gotham, dismissed as a copycat superhero. She wanted to be more.

* * *

July 31st rolled around the corner. It was the day her mom was finally coming home. After all these years… Her mother had missed six years of her daughter's life. _Six years_…

The sun shone down as Artemis stood at the bus stop. Alone. Anticipating… She thought of her life, how she was always waiting… Like a bus stop. Always waiting for something to change.

A bus pulled up, its wheels groaning at the tug of the brakes. The vehicle exhaled as the doors flew open, and a ramp was lowered to allow a small woman with dark hair, in a wheelchair, to roll down, towards the fifteen year old girl.

"Artemis? Is that you?" she asked, reaching out her hand.

The blonde smiled. It was almost not real to see this woman again, this woman who had taken care of her, treated her so well even as a villain… _ex_-villain. She had left the life behind.

"Hi mom."

"Your father?"

Her mother's face fell as Artemis's did. They both knew the answer.

"I reminded him it was today, but…"

"I understand," she said, looking away.

* * *

For dinner, Artemis cooked spaghetti and meatballs, trying her best to get them as tasty as she could. She'd learned a few recipes over the years when her father wasn't at home and she no longer had Jade to make her food.

"Sorry, dinner's nothing special," she said, setting a plate of food on the table where her mom sat.

"Better than I've had the last six years," Paula joked.

Artemis took a seat and they ate food quietly for a few minutes.

"You have homework?"

"Mom, it's _summer_."

After dinner, Artemis sat in her room with an arrow in her hands. She stared at the poster of _Alice in Wonderland_, something that had remained a constant in her life all these years.

"Artemis! Daddy's home!" her mom's voice called from outside the door. She leapt off the bed, taking the arrow with her. She wasn't sure what to think. She felt anxious, but she didn't think she should. Her parents were reuniting… so why was there a pit in her stomach?

She peered out the crack of the door and saw her father standing in the hallway. Her mom sat in the wheelchair, smiling.

"Oh yeah…" he greeted, "_Paula_. Forgot you were coming home."

"Overjoyed to see you too, lover," she replied blandly.

The door slammed and Artemis left her room, creeping silently through the hallway to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I meant to visit." It was her father, but his voice lacked sincerity.

"Even a _postcard_ would have been nice. Artemis wrote once a week."

"She did? You're _kiddin_."

"Stop rolling your eyes. It's all that got me through."

"Look, the way the game played out, it could have been either one of us."

"But it _wasn't._ I took the fall. _Both_ falls." Her mom's voice fell, but slowly rose again, a hardened tone in it as she said, "But I'm back now. And _Artemis_ is my priority. I lost _one_ daughter while I was gone. I won't lose another… I need to set some ground rules Lawrence."

"Six years you're away and _now_you're taking over? While you were gone I _raised _her, _trained _her! _Toughened_ her up!"

"I'm giving up the life," her mom said gently, "You have to give it up too."

"Or else what?"

A pause. "Or else you're out of here."

"…Then I guess I'm out. But baby you're kidding yourself if you think you can save Artemis from the life… she's one of us."

Artemis snapped her arrow in half and ran back to her room, shutting the door behind her.

She didn't want to listen to her parents discussing _her_ life. It was _hers_! Shouldn't she have the right to decide for herself what she wanted in it?

_This is _my _life. I'm not waiting anymore._

* * *

(A/N:) Okay hi guys! Sorry I've taken so long with uploading this, but this is the conclusion to my story :D I've been on a hiatus since I've been busy working on Gotham Academy, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer so I decided it was about time to wrap up this story (I had planned to make it shorter at first, but I decided to continue). Anyway I hope you guys have liked reading this! I love every one of you who has reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story 3 It really means a lot to me and I love hearing from you guys!

roguelover321: Awhh thank you :)

Takua Nui: I'm glad you liked it!

OrigamiPaperAngel: Haha thanks. Frostbite is actually pretty adorable 3 I wish they showed more interaction between Arty and Cam on the show. :P

Irenerb: Thank you!

Cowgrl94: I'm glad you're enjoying it!

anon: Thanks :P

Ally Marton: Ahh you're so sweet 33 Oh yes I have read it! That's what I based most of this chapter on :P

DoctorHunter7: Awh thanks 3


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